The Clifton clarion., 1887-08-31
ELECTRICPOWERFOK MINING
A New Zealand Mill Which is Run
 by Electric Motors.

It is somewhat surprising, says
 the Mining Industry, that the act
 i've, progressive and intelligent
 mining and mill men of this
 country have allowed the men of
 any other land to excel them in
 any department of their business.
 American mining and milling ma
 chinery is the best known, and the
 methods in use in American es-
 tablisbments for the treatment of
 ore are more perfect than any
 others. But in one direction Am
 erican progressiveness is left be-
 hind. It is in the direction of
 cheapening power.
 In a book just published by the
 New Zealand government, bearing
 the title of Hand Book of New
 Zealand Mines," is a description
 of stamp mill that is run by
 electricity. It is on the Phenix
 mine, Skipper Greek, Upper Shot
 orga, wherever that may be. The
 power is generated by water
 wheel situated three miles from
 the mill over a common copper
 wire hung like telegraph wire on poles." The water wheel aud all machinery in use is of American manufacture. The mill IS said to run perfectly, at cost less than one-tenth of what it would be if 1t were run by steam power. Sixty per cent of he amount of power generated by the water wheel IS said to be utilized at the mill, and it is capable of driving twenty-five stamps.
 Evidently New Zealand mining and milling men are in advance of their brethren in this country, in one respect if no more. The trans mission of power, however, is not new here, though electricity has not been called into use in that way. MT. Osbiston, at Idaho Springs, is using water power to run an air compressor on the Plu- tus, which is transmitted some distance to the mine for use in driving drills. In other places the same power has been transmitted short distances, but nowhere for anything like mile.
 That the transmission of power by electricity is practicable is clearly demonstrated, not only in New Zealand but in France. The advances made in this work during the past year will be surprising to those who have not kept watch of them. Many of the difficulties that troubled inventors and ex- perimenters one year ago have been surmounted and the way now seems clear to its use. An electric plant is cheap and there are two or three companies which adver- tise to erect them, guaranteeing to transmit fifty per cent of the power generated for any distance not exceeding ten miles. Electric power is distributed throughout | manufacturing towns in France, according to NJ. Lauriol, just as successfully as the electric light is created, while eighty-fve per cent of the work supplied to the gen orator is converted into an electric current and passed over table to the recipient, which utilizes seventy-fve per cent of the power gwen to it. Where water power can be used as the first motive power, it is so cheap that it prom ses to supercede all other powers now in use.
 There are few mining camps in Colorado which are not situated near enough to running streams to ltllize the same to produce all power needed in the camp for loisting, driving power drills and mills, providing the same is con ,erted into and utilized in the orm of electricity. If the saving y its use can be made as great as s claimed. it means great profit O Colorado and all other miners. t will enable them, by reducing he cost of mining and milling, to make profit out of ores that will lot now pay for raisingssand treat nent. In some regions, too, es- 'ecially ia Mexico, where the cost f fuel for steam generation is so